Society

Four bodies recovered, 8 missing after a bus accident

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-05-29 13:37
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HARBIN - Rescuers retrieved four more bodies Saturday morning, bringing the death toll to 11 after a bus plunged into a local river in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province a week ago.

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Rescuers are continuing to search for eight others still missing.

The four bodies have been identified as Nie Guangfa, 65, Wang Jianan, a 12-year-old girl, Chai Chunrong, a 33-year-old woman and Liu Zhendong, 73. They were all villagers from Qinlao Township of Qing'an County, according to rescuers.

A bus carrying 22 people plunged into the Hulan River in Qing'an County at 3:00 p.m. last Sunday when it was being driven onto a ferry. Three people aboard, including the driver, were rescued unharmed the same day.

An operator of illegal ferry service was blamed for the accident. Ferry staff failed to unload all the bus passengers before the vehicle went onboard, breaking transport regulations.

Gu Chunfeng, the operator, has been detained for allegedly operating the illegal ferry service.